Arch and ankle support.



No. 995,539." Q 9 l 1 99.1191119111 9119. 11, 1908.

L J. COURTEAU.

ARCH AND ANKLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JAL?, 11'137.

UNITED STATES PATENT orang,

LEOPOLD J. COURTEAU, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Anon AND ANKLE sPPoR'r.

Patented Aug. 11, i908. l

Application filed lemmi-y2, 1907. Serial No. 350,369.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD J. COURTEAU,

va citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Arch and Ankle. Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved arch and instep support designed for giving effectual and at the same time-comfortable support to theseparts of the foot, a consideration greatly desired in the case of many persons who are afilicted with weakinsteps and arches.

It is the urpose of the invention also to provide siicxii an efficient and comfortable support which may be se. arate and distinct from, and readily inserti le and removable from, the boot or Shoe, so that these devices mav be manufactured and sold economically.

To the ends stated the invention consists in an arch and instep support constructed as hereinafter set forth and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing illust-rating the article.-

That which is regarded as new will be set forth in the clauses of the claim appended to the description.

In the accom anying drawings illustrating myinventionigiire 1 is a perspective view thereof; Fie'. 2 a bottom plan view; Fig. 3 a longitudinal central section; Fig. 4 a transverse section; Fig. 5 a plan view of the blank of the body of the article; Fig. 6 a similar view of the blank of the reinforce; and Fig. 7

` a perspectiveview of one of the yielding eleneath the ball of the foot.

ments embodied in the structure.

In the said drawing the reference numeral 1 designates the body portion of the support which, as shown, may be conveniently constructed or shaped up from the blank illust-riited in Fig. 5, having an extension 2 which constitutes a heel seat, and side wings 3, 4 of a propriete shape to be bent up in the form il nstrated in Fig. 1, to conform to the shape of the inner andouter instep of the foot and accurately fit thereagainst and afford su port thereto. The blank, as shown, may e and preferably does terminate a slight distance in advance of the forward extremities of said wings; that is to say, just slightly benterinediate the front ed e of the article and the heel seat 2 thereof t ,e blank is arched longitudinally, as at 5 in Fig. 1, the desired degree te fit against and afford support for the arch of the foot.

The body ortion of the article may be constructed of) leather or of suitablyv stout and preferably shellacked fabric, or other suitable material. Since the arched instep support comprises a number `of spring strips 7 arranged in parallel relation, it may be seen that each strip will have independent movement, thus providing for any uneven treading of the wearer.

Forthe' purpose of imparting increased strength an the desired rigidity to the struc-` ture as an entxilrcty, and also for the purpose of incorporati g 1n the structure a yielding element havingfor its oliice to yield slightly under the pressure of the arch in walking and yet iulequatelyg.l s pport it and prevent it from breaking "down and to maintain normalls7 the arched shape of the support so that it will always be i1\r\casy comfort-able contact with the arch of the oot, a reinforce blank 6, conforming -in size and"`shape to the body blank 1, is provided. vThis blank may be of any suitable materialsuclihs leather, stout fabric, or othcrsuitable material, and is fitted, as`shown in Fig. l, beneath the body blank and is secured theretogby cement or other suitable adhesive. interposed between the assembled body' blank and reinforce blank is the `yielding clementv referred to and which is shown as consisting o f a. lurality 'of arched springs 7, one of which is il ustratcd in perspective in Fig. 7 of the drawing and this yielding element is, when thc parts are assembled as described, and secure d together,

securely incorporated into the structure at the arched port-ion without the use of rivets or other devices thc use of which would be uncomfortable to thewenier, and be lthe canse of irritation and annoyance. This solid incorporation of the yielding element in the structure, furthermore, such element being in positive cngagcn'icnt throughout the length of the arch with the arched portion of the body blank, aifords support throughout the extent of the arch.

For the requisite stiilncss when the body and reinforcelblanks are of compararivclythin material, it is preferable that the reinforce blank be of fabric and provided with a sufli'cent coating of shellac to afford rigidity to thc completed shaped article illustrated in Fig. 1, and a rc( uisite. stiffness thereto.

The improved arch und instep support of my invention is simple of manufacture and economical. It may be made in standard sizes to accord with the size and shape of l and a heel seat, e. reinforce (portion confornr ,standard shoes, or may be specially made to 'compensate for the mirnnty. of any given patient. The articles may be slipped into a pair of shoes with facility and when the user places the shoes upon his feet his heel will rest upon the' heel seat portion of the article and thus prevent it from slipping or disarrangement Within the shoe.

Having thus fully describedmy invention,- what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An arch and instep support adapted to be' inserted in a. boot or shoe, comprising an arched body portion having lateral Wings ing to t'ne body portion an secured thereto, and a -vielding element consistingof a plurality of independent arched springs interosed and spaced between and incorporated into 'the article by said body and reinforce portions at the arched portion of the article, substantially as described. A

In testimony 'whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presencel of two subscribing Wit- 25 DESSQS.

Vitnesses:

G20. A. Goss, E- O. LYSETH.

LEoroLD EJ. COURTEAU. 

